Entrepreneurs - 7 Business Mistakes You Must Avoid

Many mistakes can be made in business and if you are able to avoid some of them by reading and taking note of these warnings, then the time taken to put these together will be worth while. Here are some business mistakes that are common to many entrepreneurs..

  • No plan
    Many people go into business without any plan at all. The old saying that "if you don't have a plan you won't know when you've got there" still holds true today. You need to set up a business plan and that plan will contain other subsidiary plans such as a marketing plan, a finance plan, a sales plan, etc.

  • Be flexible
    If you have a business idea and you are looking at developing that into your business, then be prepared to change and be flexible. Sometimes the original idea needs some fine-tuning before it becomes commercially viable and profitable for you. By all means stay with your dreams, vision and ideas, but be flexible and allow yourself the luxury of discussing those ideas with professional advisers, as well as those who have already done it before.

  • Make sure you know your customers
    Every business must have customers. If you don't have customers you won't have sales. If you don't have sales, you won't have profits. If you don't have profits you won't have a business. Make sure you are aware of your customers as well as your competitors. You need to know your customer's preferences, as to the services you can provide. Unless you know your customers well, it is difficult for you to know what to supply.

    You need to know what their requirements are. You need to find a bit more about their buying patterns and you need to be aware of your competitors so they don't take your customers away from you. Also provide good customer service. The short answer to customers is, work hard to get them and when you've got them, keep them by providing quality products, service and good support so they won't consider going anywhere else.

  • Watch your cash
    Ensure your cash position at all times allows you to make decisions and pay for the requirements of the business. The saying that "cash is king" still holds true today because if you run out of cash your business will come to a "screaming halt". You always need to maintain sufficient cash in reserve to meet emergencies and to pay staff and to pay for goods and services.

    This means that the fact you have a lot of stock in the warehouse or a lot of equipment or other assets, does not guarantee you will not fail. If you don't have cash you will definitely fail because most people don't' look kindly on being paid for their goods and services with your stock or plant or equipment. People want cash.

  • Work with good staff
    Make sure you employ good people. Motivate and train them so they are happy in their work. The result will be increased productivity and work satisfaction. Be patient and persistent, and insist on a high standard of work from your staff. Motivate, encourage and coach if necessary, as well as pat them on the back when that's needed. Some psychologists go so far as to recommend that the staff need a cuddle now and then, but that is probably going a bit overboard!

    Make sure you have good morale in your workplace, because that will result in high productivity and high profits for the business. If the business is doing well, ensure that the staff know about it and praise them for it. The best confirmation of your satisfaction with your staff will be when you share some of that increased profit with them by way of bonuses and other benefits.

  • Always seek advice
    Listen to good advice. The person who thinks they know everything is headed for disaster. Being a lone ranger does not entitle you to a medal and you will find most people are prepared to talk and help you if you ask. Also be aware of the fact that you cannot do everything yourself, based on the knowledge you have. Others also have expertise and something that takes them five minutes to explain could take you a couple of days to figure out on your own.

  • Be realistic
    If you are in business, you need to live in the real world. You need to watch your business performance. Control your expenses. Look at ways of increasing your income. Continually monitor how the business is going and how the staff are performing. Have a reserve of cash in the bank for a rainy day and plan ahead all the time, rather than waiting for disaster to happen.


    • Copyright 2005 StartRunGrow
    http://www.startrungrow.com

    StartRunGrow (http://www.startrungrow.com) is a global online information organization that specializes in creating, developing and marketing business help information specifically with the aim of "making business easier" for entrepreneurs around the world. The StartRunGrow objective is to become a dominant player in the business help arena providing end to end solutions for the millions of small and medium businesses worldwide who continue to struggle daily with the difficulties of starting, running and growing a successful business.

    In The News:

    pen paper and inkwell


    cat break through


    Ten Ways to Strengthen Your Reading Habit

    Most people wish they read more. It is an activity... Read More

    How To Use Bartering To Gain An Advantage Over Your Competition

    If you have a business on the Internet you should... Read More

    10 Steps for Business Owners to Take if They Are a Victim of Identity Theft

    Be aware that 40 million crooks obtained credit card numbers... Read More

    Ten Tips for Cross Cultural Communication

    Here are some simple tips to help you improve your... Read More

    10 Dos and Donts Of Customer Services

    Email etiquette is the key to help calm down anxious... Read More

    Increase Business Profits - Ten Ways

    How do you increase business profits? Answer the following questions... Read More

    7 Tips On Getting Ready To Put Attraction Marketing Into Action

    Attraction marketing is about making a customer for life not... Read More

    Shaking Your Money Tree: Seven Ways to Make Quick Cash

    Does your business have a money tree you can shake... Read More

    Top Ten Tips: Where to Get the Best Business Books Now!

    There are many places you can get books, and I... Read More

    Sales Marketing: 10 Tips On How To Promote Yourself And Generate Sales

    A lot of people are insecure about buying something or... Read More

    Top 10 Tips on How To Write About Yourself

    Many people find it really hard to write for business... Read More

    10 Incredibly important business basics EVERYONE needs to know BEFORE they start a business!

    In my career, I have had a total of 3... Read More

    10 Marketing Tips For Your Business

    Here are a few ideas to get you started, all... Read More

    10 Things To Ask Your Accountant

    This is a quick checklist of a few things that... Read More

    7 Reasons You Want Referral Business and How to Get Them

    Studies have proven that there is one reason why people... Read More

    Top 10 Items to Review & Build Your Business Now!

    In building and runnng an independent private practice or small... Read More

    Top 10 Steps to Build Your Professional Practice Now!

    1. Examine everything in your office from the view of... Read More

    The Top Ten Reasons to Hire a Coach

    1. You have a big goal and you want someone... Read More

    7 Tips on How To Prepare for Business Events

    Are you scratching your head after business events wondering why... Read More

    Plan Your Success In Seven Ways

    Many businesses lose money yearly because they don't think creatively... Read More

    How To Make Money With Your Junk Mail

    The term "junk mail" is a well-known term. To... Read More

    International Shipping/Freight for Dummies

    There are lots of benefits for some businesses to import... Read More

    Home Furnishings in India : How to Find an Exporter,manufacturer or Supplier ? Beyond a Database.

    Looking for a manufacturer or supplier of home furnishings in... Read More

    7 Reasons Why Training Doesn?t Produce the Desired Results and What You Can Do To

    Seven Reasons Why Training Doesn't Produce the Desired Results and... Read More

    5 Tips to Manage and Organize E-Mail

    How do you focus on your urgent e-mail and organize... Read More

    Ten Steps To Better Listening

    Talking is the least important half of any conversation. Listening... Read More

    How to Counsel Your Non-Performing Team Members - 10 Tips

    Counselling non-performing team members is a tough part of any... Read More

    Get Your Mailing Noticed - Seven Tips for Effective Direct Mail Pieces

    When sending mail to clients and potential clients, make your... Read More

    1 Step Program to Achieve All of Your Goals

    In Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen's original "Chicken Soup... Read More

    Top 10 Items For A 21st Century Toolbox!

    Skilled workers of every age have prized their tools. I... Read More

    7 Ways To Profit From Other Peoples Products

    If you don't possess the time, money or inclination to... Read More

    7 Ways To Get One-way Links To Your Site

    One way links will help you gain better rankings in... Read More

    10 Tips for Effective Proofreading

    Proofreading may not be terribly fun, but it's one of... Read More